


Discovering (or trying to)

by SerialKillerQueen



Series: Finding what you need [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: (Very minor injury), Ana is an infected vampire zombie thing who is doing her best, Being a leader, Cheryl is a transwoman, Cheryl is softcore southern, Figuring someone out, Gen, Injury, Multi, Other, POV Outsider, Post-Apocalypse, Rose is a Christian, Rose is an anxious disaster, Smoking, Smoking is bad for you but Cheryl makes poor life choices sometimes, Stimming, The Author is Sleep Deprived, Trans Character, Underage Smoking, do not copy to another site, neurodivergent character, religious character, tending to an injury, unbeta'd we die like mne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28502295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerialKillerQueen/pseuds/SerialKillerQueen
Summary: Ana tends to Rose after the human is injured on a supply run.
Relationships: Original Character & Original Character
Series: Finding what you need [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067354
Comments: 6
Kudos: 3





	Discovering (or trying to)

**Author's Note:**

> You should read the other works to have a better grasp on this but in general what you need to know.  
> Ana is of Russian descent.  
> Cheryl is from Texas, she is a transwoman.  
> Rose is neurodivergent (ADHD, social anxiety) and Christian.  
> Sadako (only briefly mentioned) is the functioning medic for Ana's colony.  
> Check the mycast for faceclaim references! Also click on each role for a little bio!  
> https://www.mycast.io/stories/finding-what-you-need  
> (I've been informed mycast won't let you click, go there to see their faceclaims and go here to see their bios!)  
> https://icecreamraven.tumblr.com/bios

Ana is still not sure about a lot of things about Cheryl, truth be told.

Bellamy had not been hard to read (brave but scared but resigned), nor had Sam (wanting to trust, more subdued than some, but compassionate), or even Cassie (always smiling and confidant but, she thinks, fully prepared to pull a gun on her or any of hers if they’d tried anything). Not easy to read like Seth, so smart and so focused, or James who was...potentially a problem. With his back always up and his teeth always bared. Charlie, who is either cheerful and optimistic or scared out of his mind, depending on the day. 

She’s not sure Cheryl is like any of them though.

She’s never been anything but calm, her scent always neutral, evened out. It is now, from where she’s leaning against the infirmary doorway, cigarette balanced between two fingers, watching as she bandages Rose’s hand.

She’s not their medic, by any means, she has general knowledge though, and felt compelled to check in when Rose, Cheryl, and Cassie had returned from a run with the red head injured, confident Sadako will understand the impulse.

It’s a minor scrape, she’d hit something in their scramble to avoid some Ferals who had gotten closer than they thought they would, (she’d only partially listened to the details of the encounter, more focused on the scent of blood and the relief that they were all okay, than to hear exactly what happened), so it’s nothing Ana can’t deal with.

It’s more wanting to check on them though. And...learn, to want to understand these two, in particular.

Rose is almost as hard for her to read as Cheryl is. She’s quiet, in a way that reminds her of Bellamy, and her scent is always some level of anxious.

Not scared, no. Not since their earliest days here, but like she’s always faintly on edge. She’s never really still either, always fiddling with the cross necklace that she’s never seen her without, or with the cuff of her shirt. She avoids making eye contact, usually letting them dart around whatever room she’s in.

But not scared, not even _that_ anxious all things considered, but never really at ease.

It’s a dramatic contrast to Cheryl. Ana’s half convinced Chery’s never been afraid in her life.

(That’s an exaggeration, everyone’s been scared, but Cheryl’s…everything, is a good argument against that fact).

“Thank you.” 

She’s jolted out of her thoughts by Rose’s gentle voice, and the slightly uncertain smile she sends her way, as she stands up, hand cleaned and bandaged, the scent of blood is already lessening, the wound definitely isn’t that serious, and walks out.

She acknowledges the thanks, returning the smile. She feels the need to be...if not careful then cautious, with Rose. She doesn’t want to be a source of fear.

“It ain’t you.”

She blinks, and it occurs to her she’s felt this vague prickling sensation the entire time, which she’s now sure is Cheryl’s stare, that she’s been watching her ever since they stepped in the room.

(Maybe she’s not the only curious one).

“What’s not me?”

Playing dumb doesn’t suit her and the look the taller girl gives her makes her feel downright transparent.

“Rose has always been like that, her brain works differently, that’s all. And it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s scared.”

Cheryl’s slight drawl is as even and steady as her scent is. Her stare unwavering.

Well, she’ll be blunt too then.

“Why did you come with her?”

She believes the Southerner isn’t scared, couldn’t possibly read her any other way, so why did she feel the need to follow Rose? She was safe in the infirmary.

But all she does is shrug.

“She doesn’t know you.”

Ana waits to see if there will be more, and after a moment Cheryl grins slightly.

“She knows me.”

Then she places her cigarette between her lips and walks out.

**Author's Note:**

> I am so tired ughhhhh I stayed up all night. I hope this didn't suck. It's far less emotions based and far more about fleshing out some characters. I tried to touch on most of Bellamy's groups general personality, and Cheryl really demanded a lot of attention. I fell in love with her writing this. She's pretty impossible to ruffle amirite.  
> I hope you guys enjoy!


End file.
